Fictionista Workshop Prompts August October
by cheela07
Summary: A compilation of short stories, one written daily on the basis of a prompt provided by the Fictionista Workshop.It is not one whole story,rather there are a number of them.A particular storyline can be the plot of another prompt, given on another day.
1. Lollipop

As I saw the little devil jumping on the couch, throwing cereal all around, I reminded myself -once again- why I had to babysit Lauren.

The money was useful for a 14-year old.

It was much more entertaining than going fishing with Charlie.

Little Lauren lived right next door to the Cullens'.

Which included a certain Edward Cullen.

Just thinking about him made my heart stop for a second and then resume beating at a furious pace.

Now, who was this Edward Cullen?

He wasn't a popular kid or the golden boy of Forks. He wasn't a rebel, nor was he a geek.

No, Edward Cullen was none of them. He was, in reality, just a normal boy. A normal boy, with normal looks, and a normal family.

He was just Edward. Tall, lanky, shy.

He was all awkward limbs and long fingers. He had weird hair and the greenest of eyes. He was polite and silent.

He wasn't boisterous like Emmett, but he wasn't brooding like Jasper either.

And, he was the object of my affections.

So, I braced myself for a flailing arm or two, and tried lifting the she-devil off the couch. Which, for the record, wasn't particularly easy, because-

Lauren was _not_ a skinny kid.

I didn't have any younger siblings or cousins, which left me entirely confused as to how to lift a child - of any age.

I didn't trust myself with her additional weight on me. The last thing I needed was to fall down and break her hand and my back.

So I very carefully tackled her onto the couch and trapped her chubby form with my skinny one. All this while she continued to cause me bodily harm.

Finally Lucifer grew bored of killing me and resumed watching SpongeBob dance and poke people.

I removed my weary form off her limp one and was on my way to the kitchen to wipe some spit off my face when I saw them.

Edward and Alice Cullen.

Alice was Edward's really tiny, really cute 7 year old sister.

She had black hair, wore pink constantly and always hugged everyone. Even random strangers.

How did I know that? Well, let's just say I had been on the receiving end quite a few times.

Now, if only the elder Cullen kid would learn a thing or two from his sister and let me feel that absolutely flat and non-muscled, prepubescent chest against mine…

"Bellllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa". And the she-devil strikes again.

"Yes, Lauren?" I ask, because frankly, what else can I do? It's not like I can tell her to shut the hell up.

"I don' drink this. Gimme candyyyyy" she cries. Like literally, cries – in her nasally voice, no less. And she drags out the letters, which makes her even more annoying.

" Lauren, you have to finish off your cereal and your milk. Mommy's orders", I say and even smile at her. See? I'm making an effort.

But _of course_ she has to go and scream her stupid little head off.

"I want candy! I want candy! Candy!"

And I can take no more of this.

See, normally I'm not a pushover. I'm stubborn.

But this annoying, irritating monster has used up all my patience. So, I relent.

"Fine. Finish your milk and I'll give you a lollipop, alright?" I say all this in an extremely even tone, which is quite an accomplishment.

You know, considering Lucifer is slowly and painfully destroying my ear drums.

I watch, with fingers crossed, as she takes the glass of milk, and smells it.

She _smells_ it.

"It doesn't smell good", she whines.

"Don't smell it then. Just cover your nose and drink it all in one go",I manage to tell her through my clenched teeth.

Then she complains that it's cold.

Of course it is, she spent the better half of the last 15 minutes refusing to drink it.

So I warmed it up for her, like the little slave that I am.

Finally, after a hundred more whines, she drinks the whole glass- with much coercion on my part.

And just when I thought that the ordeal was over-

"Yuck!" she spat.

She. Spat.

And I was supposed to clean that up. Like the little slave that I am.

Just like that, all my dreams of having a moment of solitude to myself were shattered.

After spending a solid 20 minutes cleaning the whole mess up – because apparently, Lauren could hold a lot in her mouth at one go- I had to go search 's cabinets for a piece of candy.

Lauren had good memory and pestered the hell out of me until I finally caved and agreed to let her have her beloved candy.

I'd almost given up on the task, when I came across a lone lollipop in a jar. I guess little Lauren had already finished the rest. No wonder she threw a tantrum for candy all the time.

I fished it out of the jar and handed the pink lollipop to her, seeing her cranky face transform into one of joy at the very sight of it.

As I wandered back into the living room to keep a watch on her, my gaze fell upon the Cullen siblings.

They were playing catch, with Alice running after the ball every time, but stopping on the way to try to catch a butterfly.

I could see Edward's face and he looked extremely bored. An idea planted itself into my head.

Mrs. Mallory _had_ told me to take her out on the lawn if Lauren got bored inside.

My mind made up, I called out to the little monster-

"Hey Lauren, you wanna go out and play for a bit? " I asked, with the first genuine smile upon my face.

A smile that only grew wider as she wore her shoes and followed me out into their lawn.

Right besides the Cullen siblings, who both looked up and saw us coming out.

For the first time ever, I looked right into the green eyes of Edward Cullen.


	2. Lollipop : Honey

_Disclaimer: All copyright, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

_Basically we get a word prompt a day and we then write about it. It's a great exercise to keep one's mind sharpened and focused on writing... This isn't beta-ed. It is what it is._

_This has nothing to do with Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. Each day's prompt will differ, so what I write will vary greatly as well. If you like it, then cool, please review._

_These are unbeta-ed. If you find any grammatical errors, you're more than welcome to point them out to me.

* * *

_

Today's prompts: 17th August

Word Prompt: Honey

Notes: This continues the scenario established by the earlier prompt "Lollipop". There will be several related to this storyline, until a conclusion is reached.

* * *

Lollipop :

For a whole minute, Edward and I just continued gazing into each others eyes, from across our positions on each lawn. Then suddenly Alice squealed, having spotted someone closer to her age than Edward, and just like that our little moment had ended.

With flushed cheeks, and glazed eyes, I turned back towards Edward and he motioned for us to come over to their lawn. Well, who was I to refuse such an opportunity? Grabbing Lauren's hand, I led her over to where the Cullen siblings were playing catch with a light red ball.

Edward waved at me, the corners of his mouth turning into a slight grin. I waved back, entirely too conscious of my blushing face.

As soon as we crossed over onto the Cullens' lawn, Lauren tore free from my side and ran over to where Alice stood, leaving me alone with Edward. Granted, the girls were only a few steps away, still, it felt like Edward and I were encased in this little bubble of ours. I knew that at some point one of would have to break the silence, but I was reluctant to do so.

Eventually though, Edward took the initiative and introduced himself, as if I didn't already know. Bu I didn't say that out loud, afraid I would provide too much information. Instead I introduced myself in turn, to which he just replied, "I know", indulging me with a glorious smile.

"So Bella, wanna play catch?" he asked me, his eyes twinkling. I wanted to accept his offer so bad, but I knew it wouldn't be a wise decision. I did not need him to witness my clumsiness firsthand.

But I couldn't refuse either, that would just be rude and I didn't want Edward to think any less of me. As I struggled to make a decision, Alice ran back to Edward, snatched the ball from him and threw it to Lauren. I did a fist pump inwardly, thanking my lucky stars.

I saw Edward scowl lightly at his sister's retreating from and hastened to recreate the previous atmosphere.

"Um, too late for that", I said, gesturing towards the ball that was now at the mercy of Lauren.

"Pssh. You were just searching for an excuse to get out of interacting with balls", Edward said, surprising me with his knowledge of my co-ordination problems.

As soon as he said it though, he blushed hard - his face flaming up, the tips of his ears tinged red. I wondered why, until the double entendre behind his sentence hit me. And then my traitor body went up in flames too, and I blushed like I had never before. We stood like that for a few minutes, avoiding each others' eyes and just trying to overcome the awkwardness.

Thankfully Mrs. Cullen came to our rescue. "Honey, can you help me with this?" she called out to Edward, gesturing towards the tray, containing four glasses, she was carrying with one hand, the other clutching a pitcher of what looked like lemonade. Edward jogged to her and took the tray of glasses from her, while she poured a generous amount in each glass.

Mrs. Cullen called Lauren and Alice over to where she was and gave them each a glass, which they happily accepted. Then she walked over to me, Edward tagging along behind her with a glass of lemonade in each hand, and a small smile etched on his face.

* * *

Please review and let me know what you think.


	3. Lollipop  : Bendy Straw

_Disclaimer: All copyright, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

_Basically we get a word prompt a day and we then write about it. It's a great exercise to keep one's mind sharpened and focused on writing... This isn't beta-ed. It is what it is._

_This has nothing to do with Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. Each day's prompt will differ, so what I write will vary greatly as well. If you like it, then cool, please review._

_These are unbeta-ed. If you find any grammatical errors, you're more than welcome to point them out to me. _

**Today's prompts**: August 18, 2010

**Word Prompt: **Bendy straw

"Bella, it's so good to see you", Mrs. Cullen said, pulling me in for a light hug. Edward was standing to the side, watching his mother with a sheepish grin.

I'd met Mrs. Cullen a few times before, sometimes in the grocery store, other times at the park.

I returned the hug and replied in kind, "You too, Mrs. Cullen".

"It's Esme, dear. You're always calling me 'Mrs. Cullen' and I'm always telling you not to! Let us not continue this cycle, alright?" Mrs. Cul- no, Esme said, her eyes twinkling.

She doesn't wait for a response, instead questioning me about Charlie and his health, which strikes me as odd because she's the doctor's wife. She would know if there was something to know. I answer all her questions dutifully, accepting my drink from Edward, who had been holding it for me patiently.

A loud squeal interrupts us and we see Alice chasing a butterfly, with Lauren close at her heels, both their drinks forgotten at the moment.

"Excuse me", Esme says, and walks over to the excited girls.

I sip the lemonade, it's rich, citrusy taste delightful to my taste buds. It's a nice relief from the miraculous heat bearing down upon us. The shining sun is never heard of in Forks, and the weather is a sweet respite from the usual cold and rain. I drink he lemonade through the conveniently placed bendy straw, the cool liquid swirling around in my mouth.

I realize that Edward hadn't tasted his lemonade either before, waiting for me to drink first. The gesture, whether intentional or not, is such a sweet one that it warms my heart. I watch him drink it right from the glass, not bothering to use the straw. I see his throat constrict as he swallows the lemonade, his Adam's apple a very distracting sight.

Evidently, I'm so consumed by the wonderful sight that I suck too much of the liquid at one go, and end up spluttering and coughing wildly, all the while hoping I won't throw up.

I feel Edward thump lightly on my back, and I wheeze, all the air released in a resounding whoosh.

I feel his eyes upon me, and I close my eyes, thinking of how mortifying my life always seems to be around this boy.


	4. Lollipop : Lick

_Disclaimer: All copyright, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

_Basically we get a word prompt a day and we then write about it. It's a great exercise to keep one's mind sharpened and focused on writing... This isn't beta-ed. It is what it is._

_This has nothing to do with Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. Each day's prompt will differ, so what I write will vary greatly as well. If you like it, then cool, please review._

_These are unbeta-ed. If you find any grammatical errors, you're more than welcome to point them out to me.

* * *

_

**Today's prompts**: August 19, 2010

**Word Prompt:** Lick

Notes: This continues the scenario established by the earlier prompt "Lollipop". There will be several related to this storyline, until a conclusion is reached.

* * *

Lollipop :

"Bella? Hey, c'mon, open your eyes", Edward says, his hands on my shoulders, pressing lightly. It sends my body into a flurry of sensation, my senses on overload.

While I don't want his hands to move, I'm also worried I'll embarrass myself even further if I don't gain some clarity really soon. Clearly I can't control my actions around him; the previous semi-choking incident is testament to that fact.

So I pull on my imaginary big-girl panties, take a deep breath, and open my eyes.

Edward's clear green eyes greet me, shining in the light of the sun. Their clarity surprises me, and I can see my eyes reflected in his. I can also see the look of awe that has adorned my face and I scramble to adjust my features, for fear of creeping him. No one wants someone staring at them, without moving a muscle, mere minutes after said someone gagged and sputtered right in front of them; not even Edward can be that accommodating.

I move a step back, trying not to invade his personal space. I'm almost certain my cheeks are still redder than a fire truck, so I pat them lightly, trying in vain to alleviate the color.

Now I'm at a loss of what to say. Cursing myself for not knowing what would make for appropriate conversation, after a choking session no less, I decide that gratitude is on order.

"Thanks", I say, trying to sound confident. Unfortunately, my quivering voice and the shrill pitch don't do much to relay that. I fight the urge to cringe, instead opting to look for Lauren- whom I had actually pretty much forgotten about.

"Um, yeah. Hey, you wanna go get ice-cream sometime?" he asks me, seeming just as eager as I am to change the topic. Then I realize that he just asked me out, albeit in a very friendly way. It's entirely possible that he's just taking pity on me and trying to make me feel better, but the softie in me wants to believe that there's more to it. Besides, he didn't ask me to go now. He said 'sometime', which probably means that he wants to see more of me. That he wants me around.

Sensing my silence as a negative response, he hastens to change the topic, "Hey, I think my mom called me – I'll see you around, yeah?" I see him turning back to run inside, almost running in his hurry to get away.

That's what causes my muscles to move, and without even knowing it I'm right behind him, my hand on his shoulder stopping him from retreating any further.

"I would love to", I confirm. I ca see he looks hesitant, probably questioning my delayed response.

"No, really. I- I was just stunned, so I didn't reply. But now I'm not, so, um. Yeah, I would like to have a scoop of Vanilla. I don't like the nuts in butterscotch, and the fruity flavors are just too sweet, you know? I mean, I prefer Ben& Jerry's - Chunky Monkey, actually. But I don't mind the normal flavors either 'cuz – oh Jesus. Please just stop me already" I say, a little out of breath by the end.

But it serves its purpose as I see a smile slowly creep its way up Edward's face. He chuckles a bit, his eyes all shiny, drawing me in.

I lick my dry lips, trying to moisten them. I see his eyes dart to my tongue, following its route.

We both blush simultaneously, and he flashes one more gorgeous smile my way, and I can't help but grin widely in return.

"Ah. Tomorrow? We'll walk together" he offers. And who am I to say no? I'm so caught up that he said 'together' in context to us, that I'm startled as he links our pinkie fingers together- his right , and my left hand one- and squeezes. Just as suddenly, he withdraws and looks over my shoulder, at Mrs. Mallory who is walking up to Esme.

"I should go", I say, very reluctantly. I don't want to go, but I know I have to. I don't want to screw my chances of babysitting Lauren again, and for that I have to at least show Mrs. Mallory that I was around her daughter.

Edward just nods, smiling all the while, and whispers a barely audible 'okay'.

We just stare at each other for a few seconds, and I finally relent, turning around to head back to Lauren.

Just as I take a few steps, Edward calls out to me.

" Bella? Is 5 alright for tomorrow?" he asks, and my heart flips a beat. I'm too overwhelmed to say anything, so I just nod.

His grin widens and he calls out one last time, "I'll be there". I just blush and then hurry away to Mrs. Mallory, feeling his gaze upon me the whole way.

As I reached her, I looked back one last time, and our eyes met in silent communication.

Green to brown.

And I'd never felt more contented.


	5. Lollipop : Tapas

_Disclaimer: All copyright, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

_Basically we get a word prompt a day and we then write about it. It's a great exercise to keep one's mind sharpened and focused on writing... This isn't beta-ed. It is what it is._

_This has nothing to do with Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. Each day's prompt will differ, so what I write will vary greatly as well. If you like it, then cool, please review._

_These are unbeta-ed. If you find any grammatical errors, you're more than welcome to point them out to me. _

Notes: This continues the scenario established by the earlier prompt "Lollipop". There will be several related to this storyline, until a conclusion is reached.

**Today's prompts**: August 20, 2010

**Word Prompt: **Tapas

**Dialogue Flex:** "Just a spoonful…" he said.

Lollipop:

I looked at my reflection again. Jeans, a cute tee, and manageable hair. That was casual, right? Of course, I could always go for a modest skirt- maybe the one that Mom had bought for me in Florida? I rummaged through my seemingly small closet frantically, hoping that I had brought it with me to Forks.

Finally, I found it lurking at the back, behind a photo of my parents- the only one I had- and unfastened my jeans as quickly as possible, tossing them onto the pile of clothes on the floor. Slipping the skirt on, I picked up the white eyelet lace top and checked to make sure it matched the skirt. Reassured, I removed the tee I was wearing, and slipped on the white top instead.

Just as I was making sure that I had everything in order, the alarm on my desk went off (yes, I had set the alarm to ring at 4: 45 so I would be better prepared), sending me into another frenzy. I patted my hair to make sure it was still slightly straight, from the clumsy blow-drying session I had subjected myself to. Satisfied with it, I wore my white flip-flops and clutched the small white purse I'd crammed a few dollars into – my allowance had a huge dent in it now- and was on my way to the door, when someone knocked.

Charlie had no idea that I was going on a date, and was under the impression that I was juts going to get ice=cream with a friend. This, by the way, was true. Edward was my friend. My friend I was going on a date with.

I ran to the door, swung it open, and saw Edward standing on the other side- hands in his pocket, his eyes flitting from one surface to another.

I smiled brightly at him, hoping to abate some of his nervousness, "Hi", I said, giddy at the prospect of our impeding date to the ice-cream parlor. "Um, shouldn't we get going?" I continued, when he didn't respond.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. My mother invited my cousins over for dinner today. And they're coming early, to play games or something. I swear, I had no idea they were coming. Like, she just told me, right this second" he said, the words not making much sense to me. Slowly, I put them together; realizing that he was cancelling our date- no, not date. This was just a friendly excursion. That was all.

Edward was still talking, his face screwed up in worry, his eyes looking troubled. Feeling sorry for him, I cut him off mid sentence "Edward, it's fine. Really" I said, hoping he would buy it and run off, and leave me alone to cry in despair. I continue making excuses, hoping to salvage what is left of my pride, "Um, I just remembered, I have to do my homework .God, I'm such an idiot! I just completely forgot I hadn't finished it, so this is actually a good thing, you know? Okay, I'll see you around, then? Right, bye!" I almost mange to swing the door shut, having slowly inched my way back into the house during my speech. But his foot in the path stops me, his hand coming out to hold the door open.

"Bella, will you please just listen to me?" Edward asks, his face coming to rest in the small space between the door and its frame.

"Listen, come over to dinner. Mom's made this Spanish feast, Tapas and all that. You already know Alice and Mom and Dad. And my cousins aren't that bad, I swear. Just, will you come to dinner? Please?" he asks, his eyes pleading, his face leaning towards mine.

I want to say yes so badly, but I know it's a family thing. I don't think Esme would be too happy to see her dinner being intruded upon. Besides, it's entirely too scary to mingle with his cousins, without even knowing them. So I just shake my head, saying, "Edward, I have a lot of homework left. And Dad and I always have dinner at the diner on Fridays. You should go , they must be waiting for you".

I expect him to leave, but am surprised when he just smiles, his eyes mischievous, "Bella? It's summer. School's out. We don't have any homework", he says and I feel like hitting myself with a hammer. With all the excuses in the world, _that's_ the one I come up with? So I answer truthfully, not wanting to cause any more reason for him to doubt my mental capability.

"Edward, it's a family dinner. It's not right for me to intrude upon that, okay?" I reason, but he just starts pretesting immediately, shaking his head.

"Bella, Mom wants you to come. She told me to invite you personally. Honest. And I really want you to come. Even though my cousins are gonna be there. They're probably gonna embarrass the shit outta me. Tell you some stupid stories, try to scare you sway or something. But, just come. Please?" And who am I to say no? So, I reluctantly agree, already getting scared by the thought of dining with his whole family.

"Okay, but what about Charlie- I mean, Dad? I'll have to tell him, right? He doesn't even know about all of this" I say, trying in vain to get out of dinner.

"Oh. Mom's already invited him, I think. He's coming over with Dad. Apparently they're both really close friends" Edward says, and just like that, all my excuses are spent.

"I'll just lock up" I say and enter the house to switch off all the lights, close the door and then lock it.

Edward's waiting for me outside, and as soon as I reach him, he hands me a blade of grass, a sheepish grin on his face. "I didn't get you any flowers or anything, so I just plucked this from your lawn. That's okay, right?" he asks, and I just smile, nod and blush, as usual.

"Thanks. It's very sweet of you", I say and he just blushes. We're both similar that way.

As we start walking, his house is just a block away, his pinkie finger touches mine, and then his right hand is molding into my left one. We share a secret smile, my skirt swishing around me as I walk.

We're almost to his house, when he suddenly stops, and brings my hand up to his lips, whispering, "You're beautiful" and I practically vibrate with happiness. We both blush- surprise, surprise- and then his lips place a feather light kiss on my knuckles.

We're both still locked up in each other, when a booming voice cuts through the silence, "Eddie! Where's the baseball bat I gifted you last Christmas? Dude, did you watch the new episode of-" the boy with the voice steps right in front of Edward, his voice drifting off when he sees me.

"And hello to you too" says the boy, grinning widely, a dimple flashing on his left cheek, his hand extending forward to shake mine. I shake his hand, my small hand totally enveloped by his huge one.

"Bella" says Edward, through clenched teeth, "My cousin, Emmett. Em, this is Bella" his hand tightening its hold on mine. Emmett just smiles, muttering a 'nice to meet you' under his breath and shoots back into the house.

We follow 'Emmett' into the kitchen, only to see Esme batting his hand away as he tries to get a taste of the salsa sauce – that's what I'm assuming the red sauce is, the theme being Spanish and all.

'Emmett! Get away from here right now!" Esme barks at him. To no avail, though, because the burly boy has already procured a spoon, set on disturbing the smooth evenness of the sauce.

"Just a spoonful" he says, and swallows it before Esme can stop him. Grinning triumphantly, he dashes out of the room, jostling me in the process. That's when Esme decides to turn around and sees me and Edward standing there.

"Ah! Bella, you're here. And you look lovely!" she says, scurrying forward to hug me.

I return the hug, belting out a "Thank you so much for inviting me Esme. The food looks great", to which she just smiles and waves her hand dismissively.

"Bella, you're always welcome here, okay? And why in the name of God are you both standing here for? Go out to the backyard. We're having an open sky dinner tonight!" she replies, ushering us out of the kitchen.

Edward leads me out the French windows to the huge backyard, his hand at my elbow, guiding me through the house.

As we reach the backyard, I freeze. Like, totally, _freeze_.

Sitting on two benches, on each side of the long wooden table, are about a dozen or so people. All of whom looked towards us as we entered, their faces a mixture of emotions. Some looked surprised, some happy, some indifferent. But one face shone through the haze- blond hair, blue eyes, pretty enough to give me a huge complex. And wearing a pouty scowl on her evenly proportioned lips, and s glare that could have thawed even ice. Both the scowl and the death glare aimed right at me.

_This was going to be a long night indeed. _


	6. Lollipop : Crackerjack

_Disclaimer: All copyright, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization._

_Basically we get a word prompt a day and we then write about it. It's a great exercise to keep one's mind sharpened and focused on writing... This isn't beta-ed. It is what it is._

_This has nothing to do with Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. Each day's prompt will differ, so what I write will vary greatly as well. If you like it, then cool, please review._

_These are unbeta-ed. If you find any grammatical errors, you're more than welcome to point them out to me. _

Notes: This continues the scenario established by the earlier prompt "Lollipop". There will be several related to this storyline, until a conclusion is reached.

**Today's prompts**: August 21, 2010

**Multimedia Share:** Crackerjack, rancid, swig

Search Google/YouTube for one of three given words, then select a search result at random and write about it.

Crackerjack has been chosen as the prompt. The Australian movie 'Crackerjack' has been referred to.

Edward notices my line of vision and places a soothing hand on my back, ushering me towards the two empty seats near the left end of the table.

Guess who was sitting right opposite me? Scowling-glaring-nameless-blond-girl. Shocker.

"Don't mind Rosalie. She's just… stubborn" Edward says, gesturing towards her with one hand. I don't bother asking him what it is she's stubborn about it. I'm not really sure I want to know anyway.

Edward pulled the chair out for me, sliding it back in once I'm seated. It's like something out of a Jane Austen book and it makes me giddy.

He introduces me to everyone, and they all return polite smiles and quite 'hellos'. Except the scowling-glaring-nameless-blond-girl who just mutters a 'whatever' and continues doing whatever she was on her cell phone. Like the good guest that I am, I ignore her jibe and instead turn to the next person, who incidentally, is Emmett. Emmett just smiles widely and chuckles, sharing a silent look with Edward.

Edward informs me that Emmett and Rosalie are both a year older than us and are dating, which makes me question who his cousin is – Blondie or Burly? I ask him as much, and apparently, Burly is his distant cousin and Blondie is just present because her parents had to take an impromptu business trip, leaving her at the hands of Burly's family.

We all make idle conversation until Esme comes out bearing Spanish delicacies. We all dig in, praising the delicious food and kissing her ass in general.

"Aww man! Don't give me that shit! Crackerjack is an absolute _masterpiece_!" Emmett proclaims, ignoring the stern glare and quiet reprimand of 'language!' Mrs. McCarty shouts at him.

"Em, I'm not saying it's not _good_. But it's definitely not a _masterpiece_!" Edward says, throwing his hands up in agitation, one of them smacking me hard on my left cheek.

"Ow!"I scream out, unable to keep the cry in. What? It's not like I can control it. It's a natural reflex.

"Shit! Bella, I'm so sorry! I didn't do it on purpose, I just - God, I'm so stupid!" he reacts, his hands hovering over my face. He is, of course, blushing so hard, he almost beats my personal level. His family members are all looking on with amusement, and a hint of worry. Except Blondie, who's smirking, looking all smug. I mentally evaluate her status from scowling-glaring-nameless-blond-girl to Scowling-glaring-nameless-blond-bitch. She deserves it.

"Edward, it's alright. You didn't hurt me or anything. Really" I say, trying to placate him for the time being, lying through my teeth because _damn_, my face stings right now.

Esme speaks up first, asking me if I need some ice for it. I want to say yes, but I also don't want Edward to feel worse than he already does- nothing screams 'This hurts!' more than an ice pack being embraced gratefully. Luckily, Edward is already out of his seat to grab one, and I follow him, eager to escape the watching eyes of the others.

"Such a fuckin' idiot! God, who does that? Yeah, hit her, that's the way you'll get her! Fuckin' hell!" he rants, kicking a nearby cabinet and then hopping around on his other foot, because apparently the cabinet does not take abuse well.

I interrupt his chant of "Fuck, shit, ow! Fuck, fuck, fuuuuck!" by clearing my throat.

He turns around, still muttering and groaning, all while trying to remove a pack of ice from the freezer.

"Hey. You alright?" I ask him, because he's still hopping around on his left foot.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" he replies wryly, his question clearly being a rhetoric one.

"Oh come on. Stop being so melodramatic! It was an accident. That's it. I know you would never do it on purpose" I tell him, hoping to assuage his guilt. He's silent for a while, but then he just shakes his head sighs heavily.

"Okay, yeah. I would never do it on purpose. You know that, right? Right. Ah, here you go" he says, handing me an ice pack.

I accept it graciously, pressing it against my stinging left cheek.

Surprisingly, he lets the issue drop and instead leans on the counter, crossing his long legs and folding his hands. I have to concentrate very hard to keep the pack pressed on my face and not let drop it down. With my luck, it would just land on my big toe and squash that as well.

"So, I guess I've screwed all my chances with you, huh?" he asks, looking up from underneath his eyelashes, his usually bright green eyes now a dark shade.

"Guess that answers my question" he says, sighing softly and looking down at his feet. I realize that he thinks I'm pissed off at him, which is so far off the mark. At the same time, I also feel a flash of thrill run through me, probably because he just admitted-albeit unknowingly- that he wants to be with me. As a couple.

I go to him, running the fingers of my free hand lightly across his own. He looks up, his eyes catching mine in a searing gaze, and his hand grasps my own tightly.

"Edward, will you please stop brooding? Seriously. I want to get ice-cream with you. And we will, okay? Tomorrow. I promise" I tell him, gathering all my courage to do so. Edward nods, his lips finally turning up into a shy smile. We both just stand there, enjoying this moment of un-clumsiness.

Our hands are still entwined, our eyes upon each other, when the door to the kitchen suddenly opens, and in walk Charlie and Mr. Cullen. They both stop mid-laugh when they spot us, their mouths hanging open in similar expressions – shock, confusion and just a bit of amusement.

Both Edward and I are glued to our places, and it seems like our hands have stopped co-coordinating with the rest of our bodies. The four of us stare at each other, unblinking, just as the backdoor opens, and Esme comes in.

"Break the party, kids. An ice-pack does not- _Ah_!" she cries out, in surprise maybe, on finding the four of us caught in this situation.

Charlie is the first to break the uncomfortable silence, "Well, Bella. Got something to tell me?" he asks me, a wry smile ghosting upon his face.

One thing is for certain, I am definitely screwed.


End file.
